Realization of Integrated High-Throughput Real-Time Nano-Imager based on Nanophotodetector Array and Negative Dielectric Superlens

高通量实时Nano Imager0622185的实现知识价值：小于光学衍射极限的成像材料或物体对纳米技术非常感兴趣。目前基于近场扫描光学显微镜(NSOM)的方法已经得到了广泛的应用。然而，NSOM具有各种限制，例如其金属涂层光纤尖端的光功率吞吐量非常低(10-3到10-6)，以及对非常慢的机械扫描的依赖。这项拟议的工作旨在开发新技术，通过设计一种高速纳米像素光电探测器阵列来实现新型纳米成像设备，该阵列可以单独使用，也可以与由负介电常数材料组成的集成超聚焦透镜一起使用。纳米成像仪将能够在没有机械扫描的情况下进行实时成像和高光通量。这些工作将有助于形成未来纳米光电探测器和成像仪的技术基础，并将在纳米技术、介观物理、分子化学、工程、材料科学、生物技术等许多领域得到广泛应用。广泛的影响：这些工作还将在纳米器件设计、材料科学、纳米材料模拟以及对新材料或器件的新物理理解方面产生新的知识，并将对科学和技术产生广泛的影响，远远超出这里提出的项目。因此，高通量实时纳米成像仪的实现将有利于美国S在纳米技术领域的竞争力，具有潜在的重大经济影响。PI是西北大学NSF NCLT-国家纳米科学与工程学习与教学中心的成员。纳米成像仪还将被用作一种有趣的教学工具，可以结合起来向学生传授与纳米成像相关的新物理。学生还可以学习使用纳米成像器来观察移动的纳米物体。通过NCLT基于网络的教学，在研究中学到的知识将被广泛传播，以造福于全国的下一代科学家和工程师。

Realization of High-Throughput Real-Time Nano-Imager0622185Dr. Seng-Tiong Ho, Northwestern UniversityIntellectual Merit: Imaging materials or objects at smaller than the optical diffraction limit is of great interest to nano technologies. Current approach based on Near-field Scanning Optical Microscope (NSOM) has found wide usages. NSOM, however, has various limitations such as the very low light power throughput (10-3 to 10-6) of its metal-coated fiber tip and its reliance on very slow mechanical scanning. The proposed works aimed to develop new technology that will enable the realization of novel nano-imaging devices by engineering a high-speed nano-pixel photodetector array that can be used by itself or with an integrated super-focusing lens made up of negative dielectric constant material. The nano-imager will be capable of real-time imaging and high light throughput without mechanical scanning. These works will help to form the technological foundation for future nano-photodetectors and imagers, and will have broad applications to nano-technologies, meso-scopic physics, molecular chemistry, engineering, materials science, biotechnologies, and many other areas.Broader Impacts: The works will also generate new knowledge in nano-device design, materials science, nano-materials simulation, and new physical understanding of the novel materials or devices, and will have potentially broad impacts on science and technology much beyond the project proposed here. Thus, the realization of the high-throughput real-time nano-imager will benefit U.S.'s competitiveness in the nanotechnology areas with potentially significant economic impacts. The PI is a member in the NSF NCLT-National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering at Northwestern University. The nano-imager will also be used as an interesting teaching tool that can be incorporated to teach the students the new physics associated with nano-imaging. The students can also learn to use the nano-imager to observe moving nano-objects. Through the NCLT Web based teaching, the knowledge learned in the research will be disseminated widely to benefit the next-generation of scientists and engineers nationally.